50 civilians, including 12 women and 6 children, have been found dead in mass graves in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an area that has been under attack by armed groups.
The UN Secretary-General’s deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said the bodies were found in the village of Nyamamba in Ituri by UN peacekeepers.
In addition, the bodies of seven men were found in the village of Mbogi.
The peacekeepers intervened after receiving instructions to patrol the area due to attacks by CODECO militiamen this weekend against civilians. These militiamen consider that they are protecting the Lendu tribe from the Hema tribe and the national army.
The spokesperson announced that the investigation is still ongoing to determine the links between these attacks and the findings.
The two villages concerned by the attacks are in Ituri, a province bordering Uganda where several civilians have been repeatedly killed.